Air-lock for excavating apparatus.



J. H. GRAY.

AIR LOOK FOR EXGAVATING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.19,1009.

950,388. Patented Feb.22, 1910.

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J. H. GRAY.

AIR LOOK FOR BXCAVATING APPARATUS.

APPLIOATION FILED MAR.19.1909.

950,388; Patented Feb.22, 1910.

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J. H. GRAY.

AIR LOOK FOR EXGAVATING APPARATUS. APPLIOATION FILED MAB.19.1909.

950,388. Patented Feb.22, 1910.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN H. GRAY, OF EAST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY.

AIR-LOCK FOR EXCAVATING APPARATUS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J OHN H. GRAY, a citizen of the United States, andresident of East Orange, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey,have invented a new and useful Air-Lock for Excavating Apparatus, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to air locks for ex cavating apparatus, with theobject in view of providing eflicient means for removing the excavatedmaterial from within the caisson to the external air without materiallyinterfering with the air pressure within and at the same time providingfor the passage of workmen into and out of the caisson withoutinterrupting the removal of the excavated material.

A practical embodiment of my invention is illustrated in theaccompanying drawings in which,

Figure 1 is a view of the lock in front elevation, Fi 2 is a view of thesame in side elevation, Fig. 3 is a vertical central section from frontto rear, in the plane of the line A-A, Fig. 1, Fig. 4 is a verticalsection in the plane of the line BB, Fig. 2, Fig. 5 is a horizontalsection in the plane of the line C, C, Fig. 3, and Fig. 6 is ahorizontal section in the plane of the line D--D, Fig.

The casing of the air lock which is an upward extension of the caisson,consists of a main or body portion 1, here shown as oval in crosssection and provided at the front with a hollow projection 2,conveniently U- shaped in horizontal section, the bottom of whichprojection opens into a transverse cylindrical casing 3, also at thefront of the main casing 1.

The main casing 1 is provided with an air tight top or cover 4-, and avertical air tight partition 5, separating the interior of the maineasing into two compartments (3 and 7, the former having an air tightbottom 8 and the latter open at the bottom to the interior of thecaisson proper 9, or tube leading to the caisson proper, and also opento the interior of the hollow projection 2.

The compartment 6 is employed for the passage of workmen to and from thecaisson proper and is provided at its top with a trap door 10, openedand closed by a weighted lever 11 which may be swung past center in eachof two Ways to hold the door closed and opened. In like manner thebottom 8 is pro- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 19, 1909.

Patented Feb. 22, 1910. Serial No. 484,541.

vided with a trap door 12 operated by a weighted lever 13.

The cylindrical casing 33 has an opening 14; at its top at the base ofthe hollow projection 2 and also an opening 15 at its bot-- tom. Vithinthe cylindrical casing 3, a hollow cylinder 16 fits with a tight rotaryfit, the said cylinder 16 being journaled in the ends of the cylindricalcasing 3 and one of its journals provided with a sprocket wheel 17,located exterior to the end of the casing 3 for applying power to rotatethe cylinder. The said cylinder 16 is provided with an opening 1.8 inits wall, the extent of said opening preferably corresponding to theopenings 1 1 and 15 in the casing S. The wall of the casing 3,particularly the inner wall at the margin of the opening 14, is extendedupwardly and inwardly as shown at 19, forming between it and the frontwall of the projection 2, a funnel-shaped pocket for the reception ofthe excavated material as the latter is dumped from the endless chain ofbuckets.

An endless chain of buckets, denoted by 20, passes up from within thecaisson, or tube leading to the caisson 9, into the coinpartmcnt 7 toand over a pair of sprocket wheels 21, 22, on a shaft 23 carrying adriving sprocket wheel 21, exterior to the casing, to which drivingsprocket wheel power is applied from any suitable source. Thence thebucket chains extend to and over guide sprocket wheels 25, (one onlybeing shown), mounted within the projection 2, over the opening 1 1- inthe casing 3, and thence downwardly and inwardly to guide sprocketwheels 26, (one only being shown), and thence down into the caisson 9.

The operation is as follows: The work men at the bottom of the caisson9, till the buckets on the endless chain as they begin their upwardtravel and the buckets are dumped as they pass over the wheels 25, theexcavated material falling into the opening 14. and accumulating thereuntil the dumping cylinder 16 is rotated into position to present itsmouth 18 beneath the opening 1 1, when the excavated material will dropinto the cylinder 16 and as the latter is rotated to present its mouthto the opening 15, will fall into the exterior air, either in a pile oronto some suitable carrier as may be desired.

It will be observed that the Work of the endless chain of buckets may becontinuous, and that in passing their loads from within the air lockcompartment 7 into the open air, the compartment 7 is not opened to theexternal air, the dumping cylinder l6'f0rming a cut-off valve betweenthe interior of the compartment 7 and the external air at all times. Itwill further be observed that passage to and from the caisson is notinterfered with by the continuous work of the endless chain of buckets.

Access to the several working parts may be had by a door 27 in thepartition 5, which door is held closed air tight by means of clamp locks28 at its sides and ends. Peep holes 29 and 30 are provided, the one inthe partition 5 and the other in the wall of the projection 2, forobserving the work of the endless chain of buckets, the peep holes beingclosed air tight by transparent material, for instance, glass.

It is to be understood that well known or approved means are to beprovided for maintaining the necessary air pressure in the caisson asusual.

It is obvious that changes might be resorted to in the form andarrangement of the several parts without departing from the spirit andscope of my invention; hence I do not wish to limit myself strictly tothe structure herein shown and described, but

What I claim is: y

1. An air lock for excavating apparatus, including a dumping valveprovided with a load receiving opening in its wall and arranged to closethe lock to the external air while permitting the passage of theexcavated material and means for depositing the excavated material inthe valve.

2. An air lock for excavating apparatus, including a rotary dumpingvalve provided with a load receiving opening in its wall and arranged toclose the lock to the external air while permitting the passage of theexcavated material and means for depositing the excavated material inthe valve.

3. An air lock for excavating apparatus, including a rotary hollowcylindrical valve provided with a load receiving opening in its wall andarranged to close the lock to the external air while permitting theexcavated material to enter and pass out of the valve and means fordepositing the excavated material in the valve.

4-. An air lock for excavating apparatus provided with a cylindricalvalve seat in its wall provided with openings, a rotary hollow cylinderfitted in the seat and provided with an opening in its wall and meansfor depositing the excavated material in said rotary cylinder.

5. An air lock for excavating apparatus provided with a cylindricalvalve seat in its wall provided with an opening to the interior oi' thelock and an openingto the exterior air, the opening to the interior ofthe lock having retaining walls extending upwardly therefrom, a rotaryhollow cylinder fitted in said seat and provided with an opening in itswall and means for depositing the excavated material in said rotarycylinder.

6. An air lock for excavating apparatus provided with a hollow air tightprojection offset from the main or body portion, a dumping valveprovided with a load receiving opening in its wall and located at thelower portion of said offset, the said valve being arranged to maintainthe lock closed to the external air while permitting the excavatedmaterial to pass and means for raising the excavated material into saidoffset above the dumping valve and depositing the material in the valve.1

7. An air lock for excavating apparatus provided with a verticalpartition separating the lock into two compartments, one of saidcompartments having a closed top and bottom provided with trap doors andthe other compartment having a closed top and open at the bottom to thecaisson, an endless chain elevator extending from the caisson up intothe latter compartment and a dumping valve for passing the excavatedmaterial through the wall of the compartment.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have signedmy name in presence of twowitnesses, this seventeenth day of March 1909.

JOHN H. GRAY. itnesses F. GEORGE BARRY. HENRY THIEME.

